DCTA Moves GoZone Vehicles and Increases Bus Service, DART's New SVP & More

News & Updates

June 7, 2024 Issue

DART Appoints Senior Vice President of Procurement

communityimpact.com

Dallas Area Rapid Transit has a new senior vice president of procurement to oversee contracts for the agency, according to a May 31 news release.

President and CEO Nadine Lee announced Collina Washington-Beard was appointed DART’s senior vice president of procurement. Washington-Beard comes to the role with more than 18 years of experience leading business and procurement services with several transit organizations.

She most recently worked as chief business officer at the Eugene School District in Eugene, Oregon.

“The DART team is thrilled to welcome Collina Washington-Beard,” Lee said in a statement. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role, which will be critical as DART works to increase ridership with a focus on operational integrity and the customer experience.”

America's Commute to Work is Getting Longer and Longer

wsj.com

The American worker is making peace with a longer ride.

Big shifts in the way people live and work are making commutes of over an hour into the office more common—and even more palatable. Rising housing costs have prompted many to move farther away from city centers, while the staying power of hybrid work means they don’t have to drive into work every day.

The share of super commutes—those 75 miles or longer—have grown the most and are up by nearly a third since 2020, according to new research from Stanford University.

Craig Allender’s family of four felt they had outgrown their three-bedroom home in Novato, Calif., and wanted to upgrade. They found a five-bedroom one 30 miles north in Sonoma County where lower housing costs put a 3,000-square-foot house in reach.

Allender says he can tolerate his new 63-mile drive to work since he only has to go in three times a week.

“If I had to be in the office five days a week, there’s no way,” says the managing director of an engineering company in Oakland.

DCTA Approves Bus Frequency Changes and Adds Bus stops, Less GoZone Vehicles in Denton

mytexasdaily.com

During this past month’s board meeting, the Denton County Transportation Authority approved bus frequency changes and decided to add more bus stops beginning in mid-August.

Buses will run every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays with more stops serving more neighborhoods.

The change comes after months of discussing the “Intermediate Service Plan,” which includes adding more buses and bus stops in Denton and shifting GoZone Denton drivers to Lewisville and Highland Village in mid-August.

Austin Frith, DCTA vice president of planning and development, told the board the 20-minute frequency will make it easier for commuters to connect with the A-train and the University of North Texas campus shuttle buses.

“We look at the proposed connect network from a scheduling perspective, it’s clear to see the simplicity of the 20-minute frequency … with the consistent number of buses on the network during the core timeframes,” Frith told the board during the May meeting. “This is a significant improvement towards our strategic goal of making it easier for the rider.”

GoZone Vehicles Shifting Away from Denton into Lewisville and Highland Village

dentonrc.com

The GoZone rideshare program will begin to shift more vehicles from Denton to Lewisville and Highland Village in mid-August.

The Denton County Transportation Authority approved the change during the May board of directors meeting.

Lewisville mayor TJ Gilmore asked the board during the April meeting whether members were comfortable saying there were more GoZone demand requests in Lewisville and Highland Village than in Denton.

“What we know about ridership in Denton is bus ridership continues to increase, and the Denton GoZone service has pretty much stayed the same,” DCTA CEO Paul Cristina responded to Gilmore.

Cristina also told the board that the net overall ridership will not change.

“I’m not concerned about losing rides because I believe that when we shift the capacity, or when we increase the frequency, number one, the bus is going to be a very attractive alternative for folks, and so that’s going to be really helpful,” Cristina said during the April DCTA board meeting.

TCNT Annual Luncheon, September 20, 2024

Registration is Open!

The Transit Coalition of North Texas is hosting its annual luncheon on September 20, on the State of Transit. We will hear a report on the TxDOT Multimodal Plan and the results of a TTI economic impact analysis of transit. In addition to individual speakers, the luncheon will feature a panel of our transit CEOs who will discuss what the State's plans and the statewide economic impact analysis mean for North Texas.

Irving Infrastructure Summit is Back!

infrastructuresummit.org

The City of Irving and the North Texas Commission have teamed up to bring back the Infrastructure Summit. This comprehensive event will span a full day and a half, featuring a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Regional Transportation Council (RTC), and showcasing panel discussions dedicated to addressing crucial infrastructure vital for sustaining the region's growth.

When: Thursday, August 8 – Friday, August 9, 2024

Where: Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas (500 W. Las Colinas Blvd)

Hosted by: The City of Irving and the North Texas Commission

More Information

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org